The Dunlop JH-1 CryBaby Saga – Part One

I admit it. I made one big mistake with this CryBaby pedal – buying without trying.

When I plugged in, the first red flag to go up was the narrow sweep of the pedal. I like a nice wide sweep (like the ‘70s Morley units) for a more vocal-like quality, but on this JH-1 the sweep was so narrow it was barely useable. After thinking about this for a while it occurred to me that I could adjust the sweep by rotating the potentiometer. After some trial and error I did manage to make the sweep much wider, but still not anywhere near as wide as I’d like.

As for the tone, let’s say it was mediocre at best. This particular pedal was voiced in the upper midrange so it wasn’t too shrill, but it did not have any body or depth to it at all. It is also a dramatic tone sucker (particularly the high end) whether on or off. When playing with fuzz or distortion I have even picked up the occasional local radio station – reminiscent of the infamous Nigel Tufnell scene toward the end of the Spinal Tap movie.

I think these faults are a reflection of the cheap components used – no DPDT switch to make it true bypass and no fasel inductor anywhere to be found. To be fair, since this model was released, Dunlop has made some significant quality improvements to their line and brought out a number of more expensive models with higher end components that are endorsed by star players like Zak Wylde, Dimebag Darrell and Slash.

So what do I do? Do I sell it on eBay and lay out $200+ for a Fulltone Clyde Deluxe from Michael Fuller or a Picture Wah or Wizard Wah from Geoffrey Teese – probably two of the best boutique Wah builders around at the moment? Or do I try and salvage this sonic train wreck of a pedal with one of the many mod kits that are available?

My soldering skills are very limited so I don’t feel comfortable adding and removing components on the circuit board. After some fairly extensive research on the different options available I think I am going to remove the entire circuit board and replace it with a pre-soldered Vintage Italian Wah Kit from Area 51. At least I can salvage the metal casing of this Dunlop pedal (which I will probably spray bright red). There are cheaper options, but the mod kit from Area 51 seems the best solution and best sounding Wah to my ears.

Once I get this ordered and installed, look for a review of the “new” pedal in Part 2 of this gripping saga.

More info at:

http://www.area51tubeaudiodesigns.com/index.htm
http://www.fulltone.com/index.htm
http://www.realmccoycustom.com/index.htm